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Meat Tips

Smoking meat adds flavor and tenderness and also helps preserve the meat and keep it moist. While you may think of smoked meats as something you can only find at a barbecue restaurant, you can enjoy it at home too. Here’s what you need to know:

The Art of Smoking

People have been smoking meats for centuries. Smoked meat is cooked at a low temperature for an extended period. The meat doesn’t come in direct contact with the heat source but is cooked and flavored by smoke and steam.

When smoking meats, you can use a charcoal grill or a commercial smoker. You can also use a gas grill, but it won’t give you the same flavor as charcoal.

Types of Meat

Almost any kind of meat can be smoked, but most smoked meats are large, tougher cuts that tenderize during slow cooking. These include beef brisket, beef or pork ribs, and chuck roast. Leaner meats can also be smoked, such as chicken and pork tenderloin.

Choose cuts of meat with lots of marbling. Ask your grocery store’s butcher for advice on the best meat cuts for smoking and how much you’ll need. You can also ask him to trim any excess fat for you.

Wood Chips

One of the best things about smoking meats is the unique flavor it gets from different types of wood. Jeff Phillips of Smoking-Meat.com describes the following wood chips:

Apple: fruity and mild

Alder: perfect for fish

Cherry: sweet, fruity, and mild

Hickory: strong and pungent; avoid overuse

Maple: sweet and light

Oak: yields a strong smoke flavor

Pecan: fruity flavor

As you become more comfortable with the smoking process, you can mix and match different types of wood chips to create your own unique smoke blend. Phillips recommends using oak and pecan on larger cuts of beef or pork roast and the sweeter wood chips for poultry, ham, or fish.

To produce as much smoke as possible, soak wood chips for thirty minutes to an hour before starting the smoking process.

Remove meat from the smoker when done to prevent it from drying out.

Smoked meats often have a slightly pink color. This is a hallmark of the smoking process and does not mean the meat is undercooked. However, to reduce the risk of foodborne illness, use a meat thermometer to determine doneness.

Always keep at least 1/2 inch of hot water in your smoking pan to keep the meat moist. Think outside the box and try substituting other liquids for the water, such as apple juice.

To avoid burning, add sauces during the last 30 minutes of smoke time.

Depending on the cut of meat you’re using, Smoking-Meat.com recommends maintaining a smoking temperature of between 200 and 300 degrees.

Prepare to Wait

Smoking meat isn’t difficult, but it is time consuming. It can take several hours, and you’ll need to keep tabs on your smoker to be sure the water level and temperature stay consistent. But the type of flavorful, fall-off-the-bones meat that smoking produces is more than worth the wait.

When you eat a bite of a tender roast, you’re enjoying comfort food at its best. Whether it’s being served at an elegant dinner party, a romantic dinner, or a Sunday family get together, pot roast is a recipe staple. Traditional pot roasts are large cuts of beef browned and slow cooked in liquid until tender.

If you’re a man who knows his way around a kitchen, you’ll want a roast in your cooking arsenal. But before you get started, you’ll need to know some basics.

The Basics

For the perfect roast every time, follow these instructions:

Choose your meat: Popular cuts of meat include those that tend to be tough yet become tender after slow cooking. These include chuck roast, arm roast, rump roast, and brisket. The average size for a roast is three to five pounds. Be sure to trim excess fat off the roast before cooking or have your butcher do it for you.

Choose your cooking method: Pot roasts are cooked on the stove, in the oven, or in a slow cooker. Since all three methods get the job done, how you cook your roast is your preference.

Prep your ingredients: Most roast recipes include root vegetables and seasonings to make it a complete one-pot meal. These usually include potatoes, turnips, fresh green beans, carrots, celery, and/or onions. Prepping your ingredients ahead of time ensures they’re ready when you need them.

Brown the meat: Browning (or searing) adds flavor and texture to your roast. To brown, first rub your roast lightly with salt and pepper. Next, heat one tablespoon olive oil in a Dutch oven or large skillet and brown meat approximately two minutes per side.

Cook the roast: Pot roasts cook slowly and require several hours of cooking time. Follow these guidelines for each cooking method:

Stovetop: Fill a large Dutch oven or cast iron pot with enough liquid (water, tomato juice, or beef broth) to cover about two-thirds of the roast; add onion and seasonings according to your recipe. Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer the roast for two hours. Add the remaining vegetables and simmer until tender—about an hour.

Oven: Place onions and roast in a roasting pan or large covered casserole; add liquid and seasonings according to your recipe. Cover with foil or an oven-proof lid and bake at 325 degrees for two hours. Add remaining vegetables and cook one more hour, until the roast and vegetables are fork tender.

Slow cooker: Place the roast in a slow cooker and add vegetables and seasonings; add liquid according to your recipe and cook on low for six to eight hours.

Tips and Tricks

If you’re cooking your roast in the oven, you can add all vegetables at the beginning. Simply reduce the heat to 300 degrees and cook for about three hours.

Cut your vegetables equally to ensure even cooking.

When making a roast on the stove or in the oven, onions are added at the beginning of cook time to add flavor, but they often turn mushy. Adding additional onions with the other vegetables later gives you some that are the perfect consistency for eating.

For a delicious crust, lightly coat your roast in flour before browning.

Pulled pork recipes are typically made from pork shoulder. A full pork shoulder can be used, though it is usually divided into two cuts: the Boston butt and picnic. Either cut can be used, but the Boston butt, which is closer to the top of the shoulder and contains less bone, is generally the cut of choice for grilling pros.

Cooking Methods

The key to tender, juicy pulled pork recipes is cooking slow and low. There are three main techniques to cooking the pork: smoking, oven roasting, and cooking in a slow cooker. Begin each method by adding a spiced rub like this recipe from Epicurious or this recipe for Magic Dust rub from About.com. Allow the rub to marinate as long as possible. Overnight is best, but at least one hour is required.

Smoker: If you have plenty of time on your hands and want to go all in, pop your pork into a smoker or charcoal grill. Preheat the smoker or grill to 210 degrees. Cook the pork for 10 to 12 hours, maintaining the same temperature. If cooking on a grill, arrange the coals on one side, leaving a space large enough for the pork to sit without being directly over them. Sprinkle wood chips over the coals after they are fully heated and add more coals and wood chips every two hours as needed.

Oven roasted: Roasting pork in the oven has the same delicious results without all the work of firing up a grill. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Place the pork in a roasting pan and cook it in the oven for about six hours. You’ll know it’s ready when it is falling apart, but be sure to check the temperature, which should be at 170 degrees in the thickest section.

Slow cooker: No time to cook? No problem. Let the slow cooker do all the work for you, and you’ll have a delicious pulled pork meal waiting for you at the end of the day. First brown the pork in a skillet, about five minutes per side on medium heat. Add a bed of chopped onion and 1/2 cup of water to the slow cooker and place the pork on top. Cook on low for eight hours.

Shredding Technique

If smoking or grilling, let the pork rest for one hour before you shred it; otherwise, let it sit for about 10 to 15 minutes. Use two forks to pull the meat apart, shredding it into pieces. Use one fork to steady the pork while you pull the meat away with the other. Discard any large pieces of fat.

Healthier Barbecue Pulled Pork Sandwich Recipe

Pulled pork sandwiches are delicious, but the downside is they can be high in fat and calories. Make a healthier version by lightening the toppings and even adding some nutrients. Opting for a whole-wheat flatbread bun, swapping out cabbage for broccoli slaw, and making your own barbecue sauce, like this recipe from EatingWell or this recipe for peach-mustard barbecue sauce from the Food Network, help lighten up this dish.

Ingredients:

Pulled pork

Whole-wheat flatbread buns

Broccoli slaw

Homemade barbecue sauce

Directions:

Measure out 3/4 cup pork and 1 tablespoon sauce per sandwich. Toss the pork and sauce together in a large bowl.

Lightly toast the buns.

Top the bottom bun with a 3/4 cup scoop of pork, add some broccoli slaw, and the top bun.

While browsing your supermarket’s meat department, you’ll find a wide array of different cuts of chicken. Chicken is versatile, economical, and low in fat, making it a preferred meal choice.

When it comes to chicken, there’s a cut available for every recipe, from chicken legs and thighs to skinless breasts and whole roasters. But not every cut is ideal for every recipe or cooking method. Following are some popular cuts of chicken and the best ways to cook them.

Bone-in Chicken Breasts: Also available as “split breasts,” these are white meat chicken breasts with the skin and bone attached. Bone-in breasts may or may not include a back portion and are great for pan-frying, baking, broiling, and grilling.To bake, sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper and rub with olive oil. Bake at 375 degrees for about an hour.

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts: Probably the most versatile and healthiest chicken cut available, boneless breasts have had their skin and bones removed. They are good for pan-frying, baking, grilling, and sauteing. They also work well cut up in casseroles and in slow-cooker and main-dish salad recipes.

Bone-in Chicken Legs: Also known as “drumsticks,” dark meat chicken legs are inexpensive and easy to prepare. They are delicious barbecued on the grill or in the oven, roasted, baked, or pan-fried. Allrecipes features this simple BBQ chicken drumsticks recipe that your whole family will enjoy.

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Legs: Not as popular as drumsticks but just as tasty, boneless, skinless chicken legs are a whole leg without the bones and skin.

Chicken Wings: The white meat wing is made up of three parts, notes the Georgia Department of Agriculture: the upper section, also known as a drumette, the midsection, and the wing tip. Wings can be baked, grilled, or broiled and are best known for being barbecued. Try Popsugar’s healthier take on buffalo chicken wings.

Giblets: The giblets of a chicken are its heart, liver, and neck. Some people discard the giblets, but many keep them to add richness and flavor to dishes. Chopped giblets can be added to gravy or dressing, pan-fried, or sauteed.

Cut-Up Whole Chicken: This is an entire chicken already cut up for you. It includes two breast halves, two wings, two thighs, and two drumsticks. Cut-up chickens are frequently used for pan-frying, grilling, or baking.

Whole Roaster Chicken: Found fresh or frozen, whole chickens can be cut up into smaller pieces or baked whole. The leftover whole chicken frame can be used to make delicious chicken soup, like this recipe from Allrecipes.

Cornish Game Hens: Cornish hens are whole, immature chickens (usually around five weeks old). Because of their small size, the hens are usually roasted or grilled whole. They tend to be more expensive than other cuts of chicken.

With so many chicken recipes and cuts to choose from, you’ll likely never run out of meal options. To avoid food poisoning, it’s important to properly cook all cuts of chicken. According to Foodsafety.gov, you should cook poultry to 165 degrees.

The warm weather makes many people think of firing up the grill. If you have high cholesterol, don’t worry. There are plenty of ways to grill food without sending your cholesterol into the danger zones. If you don’t have an outdoor grill, you can always grill inside on a grill pan to make these healthy grilling recipes.

Grilled Margherita Pizza

This grilled margherita pizza combines the delicious flavors of Italy: fresh tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, and sweet basil. This makes an amazing appetizer or can be served as a vegetarian entree. Tomatoes are a heart-healthy food that helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Ingredients:

Prepared pizza dough

1 pound of tomatoes, sliced

1 package mozzarella cheese, sliced

Fresh basil, roughly chopped

Olive oil

Directions:

Prepare your dough according to the package directions.

Divide dough into 4 separate pizzas. Roll out each piece of dough to form 4 pizzas with a thickness of 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch.

Brush each pizza with olive oil on one side, and place in a grill pan with oiled side down.

Grill until you see dark lines form. Brush the uncooked side with olive oil, and flip the pizza.

Top each pizza with sliced tomatoes and sliced mozzarella cheese.

Cover the grill, and cook until cheese is melted and the bottom of the pizza has grill marks. Sprinkle with chopped basil leaves.

Honey-Mustard Salmon Fillets

Salmon is full of protein and omega 3-fatty acids. The fish is part of a heart-healthy diet, which includes lowering cholesterol. Salmon is an easy fish to grill because it is firm and holds together well, and grapeseed oil is great for grilling because of its high smoking point (about 450°F). Serve alongside your favorite grilled vegetables to make a balanced meal.

Ingredients:

Four 6-ounce salmon fillets

1/4 cup whole-grain mustard

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1/4 cup raw honey

Grapeseed oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine whole-grain mustard, Dijon mustard, and raw honey.

Brush each piece of salmon on both sides with grapeseed oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place salmon on the grill for about 3 minutes, until grill marks form. Then flip.

Brush salmon fillets with the honey-mustard mixture, and continue to cook for about 3 minutes or until the salmon is cooked through.

Beef and Vegetable Kabobs

Kabobs on the grill are a great way to create a balanced dish. Even if you are watching your cholesterol, you can still enjoy lean meats if you follow healthy grilling recipes. These kabobs can be customized by your favorite vegetables, and you can also try a marinade to change up the kabob’s flavor.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds of lean beef

1 large bell pepper

1 large onion

1 package mushrooms, cleaned thoroughly

1 package cherry or grape tomatoes

grapeseed oil

salt and pepper

Directions:

Soak wooden skewers in water before using so they do not burn on the grill.

Cut steak, bell pepper, onions, and mushrooms into pieces that are about the same size as the tomatoes. This will contribute to even grilling.

Place steak and vegetables on skewer. Aim for about 2 pieces of each per skewer.

Brush each skewer with grapeseed oil, and season kabobs with salt and pepper.

Place skewers on the grill. When grill marks start to form on one side of food, rotate the skewer. Cook on all four sides until vegetables and meat are cooked through (about 2–3 minutes per side).

Learning how to cook different cuts of steak may seem overwhelming at first, but there are some key factors to consider that will help you create a delicious steak dinner. When you purchase beef, there are two main things to consider: where the steak comes from on the cow’s body and the fat content of that particular cut. This guide will help prepare you for cooking different cuts of steak.

New York Strip

A New York strip steak makes a great cut of beef served as an entree alongside steamed vegetables. It has good fat marbling throughout and can be simply prepared with a delicious rub. Try this recipe for New York strip steak with spicy coffee rub.

Porterhouse

A porterhouse steak is a large, bone-in cut that actually contains two steaks: the loin (New York strip) and tenderloin. It is cut thick, which means it should be well-seasoned with salt and pepper. It stands up to a more aggressive cooking method, such as grilling. Try this recipe for a grilled porterhouse steak.

Chuck Roast

Chuck roasts tend to be leaner, tougher meat. To prepare a chuck roast, try a low and slow cooking method. Chuck roasts are great cut into small chunks for beef stew or chili that can simmer away on the stove top or a slow cooker all day long. Check out this recipe for Sunday night stew for a great way to use this roast.

FiletMignon

Many consider filet mignon to be the most prized cut of steak. While it is exceptionally tender, it is also lean. It needs to be seasoned simply with salt and pepper and cooked quickly at a high heat to sear the outside and seal in the juices. It should be medium rare inside. This cut can be served with a tasty sauce, as in this recipe for filet mignon with Gorgonzola sauce.

Skirt Steak

The skirt steak is a flavorful cut that comes from the underside of the cow. It is great for marinating and grilling and makes a delicious steak for fajitas. It should be served thinly sliced, as it is in this recipe for churrasco (grilled skirt steak).

Additional PointersWhen Cooking Steak

Safely thaw frozen steak in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave—never on the kitchen counter. Be sure to allow the steak to rest for a few minutes after cooking to make sure the juices are sealed in, and slice the steak against the grain to get a tender bite each time. These guidelines should help you select and prepare the perfect steak.

Many people test the doneness of meats by touch or sight. However, unless you’re using a meat thermometer, you risk the meat not being properly cooked. This could not only lead to a disappointing culinary experience but can also increase the risk of foodborne illness.

Following are five reasons a thermometer is essential when cooking meat:

1. Prevent Illness

Specific cuts of meat need to be cooked to precise temperatures to make sure dangerous bacteria are killed. The United States Department of Agriculture recommends using a meat thermometer to check meat for doneness. Here are their recommended temperature guidelines:

Whole cuts of pork: 145 degrees with a 3 minute rest time

Whole cuts of beef, veal, or lamb: 145 degrees with a 3 minute rest time

Ground beef, lamb, veal, or pork: 160 degrees

Ground poultry: 165 degrees

2. Prevent Overcooking

Don’t ruin an elegant meal or backyard barbecue by serving dry, tough, overcooked meat. You can easily avoid this by using a meat thermometer. When cooked to the proper temperature, meat will stay juicy and tender.

3. Eliminatethe Guesswork

No two cuts of meat are alike. If you only use cooking time to determine doneness, you could end up with some pieces being cooked perfectly and others over or underdone—not to mention burnt!

4. Maintain Safe Temperature

If you’re serving meat buffet-style, use a thermometer to check that it maintains a safe temperature. Meat that begins to cool can quickly become a breeding ground for bacteria.

5. Reheat Foods to Safe Temperature

It’s important to reheat meats to safe temperatures. Reheated meats often heat unevenly or have cold spots. Using a thermometer helps confirm the proper temperature.

Types of Meat Thermometers

Meat thermometers have come a long way. These days, there are many types to choose from:

Digital: These thermometers can be programmed for specific cuts of meat and are very easy to read.

Oven- or microwave-safe: Oven- and microwave-safe meat thermometers are placed in the meat before cooking. They can also be used to measure the temperatures of casseroles or soups.

Thermometer with a timer: Timer thermometers are great if you have guests or need to step away from the kitchen for a while. Simply place the thermometer probe in the meat, and set the timer. An alarm will go off when meat reaches the perfect temperature.

Instant read: Use this type of thermometer to check meat for doneness. Simply place the probe into the meat for a quick temperature reading.

Thermometer fork: These are similar to instant-read thermometers, except the sensor is contained within the fork tines. The benefit of this type of thermometer is that you can use the fork to handle the meat, which makes it great for grilling.

Wayfield Foods is known as “the meat people,” and for good reason. The company is serious about its slogan, taking pride in offering its customers high-quality meats with personalized service at a great price.

When it comes to meats, Jermaine Hough is a man in the know. With more than 25 years of experience, he’s taken part in all aspects of handling meats at different points in his career. Hough started off processing whole cattle before becoming a clerk and learning how to cut various meats. He then moved on to a consulting position, and he is now Wayfield’s Meat Operations Director.

According to Hough, quality, great prices, and personalized, friendly customer service are key to Wayfield’s success.

“We value a personal relationship with customers,” Hough says.

Not Your Average Meats Department

What makes the meats department at all Wayfield stores special to its customers is that it offers the personal service of a hometown butcher within the convenience of a grocery store. And there are other ways that Wayfield meats stand out from the crowd:

Wayfield offers United States Department of Agriculture-graded Choice beef and other meats at the same quality standards.

Highly trained, friendly, knowledgeable cutters are on staff in every store to cut meat to customer specifications. If customers don’t see what they need in the fresh meats display case, they need only ask a cutter to cut it for them, whether it be a 10-pound roast or a few thick-cut steaks.

Customer Favorites

Although Wayfield excels at all cuts of meat, there are certain customer favorites, according to Hough. The store’s beef short ribs, cut to a customer-specified thickness, are extremely popular. Wayfield’s economical cube steaks are preferred by many customers because they contain little to no fat or gristle. Smoked pork sausage is another versatile customer favorite that people like to grill at tailgating events but can enjoy for any meal.

“People come from all over for our smoked pork sausage,” Hough says.

Ready-to-eat Meats

Wayfield understands that its customers lead busy lives and often need a quick dinner option for themselves or to entertain a group. The meats department offers prepared meats, like fried chicken that is pre-packaged and ready to take home, for those who need to pick up a meal that requires minimal prep. Pork ribs, like the always-popular baby back ribs, are smoked on site daily and are a delicious, convenient option for a busy weeknight dinner or special occasion.

Dedicated to Quality and Service

Hough and Wayfield Foods go above and beyond to offer only the best to their customers. This translates to everything that they do, from interacting with customers to providing a huge selection of fresh and prepared meats.

When asked to describe Wayfield’s meats program in a few words, Hough summed it up in simple fashion: “[We’re] providing fresh, quality meats from our family to yours.”

There are four types of ground beef, and each comes from a different part of the cow. They vary in fat percentage, tenderness, and taste. Each type has a slightly different texture, too, so when it comes to recipes, you want to choose the right type for your dish.

What Do Percentages Mean?

When you look in your grocer’s meat case you’ll find four types of ground beef: 70 percent, 80 percent, 90 percent, and 96 percent lean. The percentage signifies the ratio of fat. Ground chuck comes from the shoulder of the cow and usually contains 15 to 20 percent fat. It’s tender and offers a rich flavor perfect for hamburgers. Ground sirloin usually comes from the area between the midsection and hip of the cow and has between 7 and 10 percent fat content. The flavor of sirloin is good, but for dishes like burgers, it can be a little dry. It is better used in dishes that include sauce of some sort.

Ground round is taken from the rump and rear upper leg and usually has fat content of 10 to 20 percent. Ground round has a tougher texture but works well in casseroles and meat pies. If you pick up a package of ground hamburger meat that isn’t labeled as any of the above, it is a combination of two or more cuts, and the fat content may run as high as 30 percent. Because of the higher fat content, this is the least nutritious option.